Family Feud Features Coug, Wolverine
As idyllic as the football season was for the Cougars of Washington State and the Wolverines of Michigan, it was definitely a touchdown come true for the Fischers of Spokane.
No matter what the scoreboard reads on New Year’s Day at the Rose Bowl, Rick and Susie Fischer can’t lose.
They have a son, Travis, 21, who is a senior at the University of Michigan.
And a daughter, Shana, 22, a senior at Washington State.
Having a national rivalry played out under one roof has infected the entire Fischer clan with an unusually virulent strain of Rose Bowl Fever.
Dial their South Hill home and you’ll hear the following original ditty on their answering machine:
“We’re busy running here and there.
“The smell of roses is in the air.
“Go Cougs and go Blue.
“Please leave a message and we’ll be calling you.”
What did you expect, Walt Whitman? A slightly altered version of this epic poem is contained in the Fischers’ custom Christmas cards. They feature (what else?) a red rose on the cover along with the sentiment, “Have a Rosy holiday.”
Oh, it gets worse. Much worse.
The Fischers installed Michigan-colored Christmas lights (blue and gold) on the outside of their house. While on the inside, visitors will encounter - you guessed it - red and white in honor of the Cougs.
I know, white isn’t a WSU color, but apparently nobody manufactures gray Christmas bulbs.
Pasadena, you say?
Of course these people are going to Pasadena. The Fischers, who are Michigan natives, and their immediate relatives gobbled up 20 tickets to the big game.
“Susie and I may be switching sides each quarter just to keep our loyalties neutral,” explains Rick.
Football mania has drop-kicked these people out of the end zone of reality, but as Susie asks:
“What are the odds of this happening during their senior years?”
Beyond computing when you consider that WSU last went to the Rose Bowl 67 years ago - before Al Capone went to prison or the kidnapping of the little Lindbergh lad.
So perhaps a touch of pigskin psychosis is justifiable.
All the Fischer children will be home and suited up for Christmas. They claim they will not wear anything besides school colors until after the big game, which should make for an interesting fashion statement around the dinner table.
Travis will be slightly outnumbered since his older sister, Amara, 26, is a WSU graduate.
“We taunt each other a little back and forth,” says Travis during a telephone interview. “It’s all in good fun, but whoever wins this game will have bragging rights for the rest of their life.”
A chemical engineering major, Travis minored in becoming a die-hard fan. He attended every Michigan game, home and away, this season.
As for a Rose Bowl prediction, Travis has given the matter way too much thought. After blabbing on and on in football jargon about secondary weaknesses and defensive hobgoblins he finally commits himself.
Michigan will prevail, he says, 28-17.
A few moments later, Travis confides that he gave WSU an extra touchdown out of pity. “I tell all my friends the score will be 28-10.”
“That is so not nice,” counters Shana, when I call the education major in Pullman after hanging up with Travis. “Well, I’m saying WSU will win 35-28.”
It’s definitely going to be one merry Christmas this year in the Fischer household, where holiday cheer comes with pompons and a megaphone.
, DataTimes